Best of Europe BOE2504
The first day of driving. Some of our group members were already at breakfast at seven in the morning! Was it because they couldn't sleep or because they were so excited about their first day on the bike? After we had enjoyed the buffet to the full, it was already time for the obligatory morning briefing. The procedure and the day's route were explained once again and then, after all the set-ups were done, we finally set off. First, a relaxed ride through the Hallertau, one of the most famous hop-growing regions in Germany. Unfortunately, the driving pleasure was somewhat dampened by persistent and sometimes heavy rain. After a while, we made our first stop at a small chapel in the middle of the forest. Our prayers to the weather gods were probably answered, as it then stopped raining a little. It finally cleared up at lunchtime and so we were able to pack our rain jackets in our cases after our break in Eichstätt. Eichstätt Cathedral and one or two tasty treats were on the agenda. Refreshed, we continued on and reached our destination for today in Rothenburg ob der Tauber (almost) without rain. A special highlight awaits us after dinner: a tour of the old town with the night watchman. We are excited.
Today’s theme is Rivers and Castles. We set off in dry but cloudy weather, heading toward the River Jagst. Before reaching it, we stop at Langenburg to take in the view over the valley, then descend to follow the course of the river. Along the way, we cross the Jagst several times—including once via a wooden covered bridge. Our American guests are familiar with these, as they’re common on the East Coast, but this one is over 200 years old! Next, we continue on to Schöntal to visit the monastery and church, and enjoy a well-earned coffee break. Following the river once more, we ride through Hornberg Castle and are greeted with our first glimpse of the Neckar River. We stop for lunch in Diedesheim, where Todd and Isaak are stunned by the sheer amount of food served—a mountain of meat and fries meant for just two people! Our final stop is Hirschhorn Castle, offering another stunning view over the Neckar Valley. From there, we follow the river into Heidelberg, enjoying great views and some welcome sunshine. Tonight, we’ll dine outside the hotel once again, sampling more delicious southern German cuisine.
Today we travelled from Heidelberg towards the Vosges mountains in France. Looking out of the window in the morning, it didn't look good. It was already pouring with rain. It stayed that way for a while, but never mind, we're not made of sugar :-). After leaving Heidelberg behind us, we took the motorway to bypass the densely populated area as quickly as possible. Shortly after Karlsruhe, we turned off onto small country roads towards the Black Forest for our first stop. We weren't disappointed. Our tour guide had already told us about a blacksmith's workshop and arts and crafts shop yesterday evening, and what we saw here was truly exquisite. Some of the tools were a hundred years old (and more), but what the blacksmiths showed us here was the very best craftsmanship. Once again, many thanks to Fabian and his team from the Tata Forge for the demonstration. Shortly after visiting the Forge, it stopped raining and we were able to continue our journey. We went deeper and deeper into the Black Forest, and the roads became narrower and more winding. Motorcycling at its finest. In the afternoon, after we had left the famous Black Forest High Road, the sky cleared completely and the sun came out. Tired but happy, we reached France and the Vosges, where our tour guide Michel was already waiting for us with a boot beer. The perfect end to a wonderfull day
As described and announced in the tour book , today was supposed to be a rest day in Ribeauvillé. But our guests didn't want to just rest, so some of them set off in the morning to explore the small town, while others drove to Chateau Haut Koenigsburg. The hilltop castle was built in the 12th century and renovated and restored between 1901 and 1908. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in France. Around noon, we all gathered again in the hotel courtyard, where Chef Michel was waiting for us with a delicious picnic. Everyone then spent the afternoon doing their own thing. Some tasted the region's wines at a tasting in Ribeauvillé, while others set off on a motorcycle tour along the Route de Crêtes. The famous panoramic road in the Vosges, also known as the Vosges Crest Road, stretches for more than 70 km to Cernay in the south. Unfortunately, we were caught in a heavy rain shower shortly after starting the tour, so we only did a short loop and were back at the hotel after an hour and a half. When we arrived, the sun was shining again, perfect for ending the day on the terrace with a delicious Alsatian tarte flambée.
The weather forecast was looking better than anything we had so far on this tour. The route would take us from France through Germany into Switzerland. Three countries in a day with some good twisties in the black forest! Dry roads and twisties, let's go! First we stopped at a memorial for a battle close to Jens-Heim in world war 2. Where we fixed Kazuhiro his boot with some duck tape. Then it was off to Hexenlochmühle through the black forest and have some coffee and famous Schwarzwald cake. Some more twisties to get to lunch and then to the largest waterfall in Europe, the mighty Rhine falls. It's the European experience of maid in the mist, but you get less wet. The weather stayed good the whole day, the refreshing mist from the falls was welcome. The hotel was just a short way from there.
What a great day, fantastic route, the best I've ever driven... These and many other superlatives were heard today at the end of the day's drive from Schaffhausen in Switzerland to Warth in the state of Vorarlberg. It was truly something special to immerse ourselves deep in the Alps. After setting off from Schaffhausen in the morning under a bright blue sky, the question arose at the first photo stop: Where are we actually? Germany or Switzerland? It was easy to lose track, as we were traveling in the border area between the two countries. At the first stop, however, we definitely stopped on the German side of the Rhine, because we then drove over the old customs bridge in Dissenhofen into Switzerland. An unmistakable sign of where we were were the many Swiss flags that probably still decorated the houses and streets from the many celebrations on National Day. After another stop, where we enjoyed a view of the Swabian Sea (Lake Constance), we continued higher and higher towards the Alps. The highlight of the day awaited us: a cable car ride up to the 2,500-meter-high Säntis. The view on that day was priceless. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones who had the idea of visiting the summit, so we quickly decided to have our lunch break in a restaurant at the foot of the mountain rather than in one of the fast food restaurants at the summit. In the afternoon, we drove through Liechtenstein, and we had to be careful not to miss this part of the route, as the detour into one of the smallest countries in Europe was so short. At the top of the Furkajoch, our guide had a bit of a scare. One of the participants had only 1 km of range left on the display. But the next gas station was still 20 km away! So we drove downhill very carefully and hoped it would be enough. And what can I say? It actually was enough. After that, we drove over the “floating” hairpin bend at Hochtannberg and finally arrived at the hotel in Warth am Arlberg. What a day!
The final day has arrived, the guests were super impressed from yesterday's ride so the guide(Michel) today had a serious job to even top that. We set off in to the beautiful Lechtal, going through small towns and heading up Namlos for some major twisties and smooth asfalt without any traffic. A short coffee stop later we were on the way for a picture of Neuschwanstein, the Disney castle built by Ludwig 2. It wouldn't be the last time we see something from this guy today. After the photostop we headed to Plansee for a traditional Edelweiss picnic with Leberkäs, the weather was getting very warm so William, Isaac, Patti and Jason went for a refreshing dip into the lake. One more highlight awaited, another one of Ludwigs castle, Linderhof. A guided trip through the palace got us all amazed. Only the home stretch left back to Erding now. The end of a great tour and wish our guests all safe travels home.
Dear participants of the tour "Best of Europe". It was a great pleasure to travel with you through the heart of Europe and enjoy all the wonderful moments of this trip together with you. We laughed a lot together and had great fun. Thank you for everything. It was a real treat for us. We wish you all the best for the future and hope to see you again on one of our tours. your tour guides, Michel and Tom